New York City Rallies in Solidarity With Russian Protesters
Saturday, December 10 in New York City will be remembered as the day when Russians made their voices heard states The Institute of Modern Russia's Olga Khvostunova. At least 300 people showed up to the Russian Consulate in New York City to protest in support of fair elections. It was the largest Russian rally in the city's history. Olga Khvostunova describes her experience at protest:
"Policemen from the 23rd precinct were nervous: they must have never seen so many Russians gathered together. When I got to the Russian Consulate at East 91st Street at noon, there were already more than a hundred people holding colorful signs, white flowers and white balloons, chanting "Fair elections for Russia!", "Putin is a Thief!", and "Russia without Putin!" Police officers didn't know what to expect of the Russian crowd and tried to keep protesters, who occupied the entrance to the Consulate, behind metal barriers that to me looked exactly like the ones you see in the Moscow subway during rush hour.
"And rush hour it effectively was, as people of all ages, occupations and social backgrounds kept arriving. Everyone was a Russian speaker and everyone was-it is hard to believe-smiling. The fact that Saturday's peaceful and successful rally in Moscow was the largest protest of the last 20 years, was already in the news. Despite a penetrating December chill, protesters warmed up with their coffee and their optimism. The air was tinged with the joy of togetherness and hope."